Would bad upper ball joints make a "clunk" sound?

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oakback

10 Year
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Every day I go over speed bumps at my kid's school, and there's a clunk in the front end that's gotten worse. If I hit the speed bump at anything more than super-slow, I hear a clunk as the suspension moves up, and again as it moves down. It's gotten louder over the past few months.

In August I had new tires put on, and an alignment, and the shop said the inner and outer tie rod ends on the driver side were bad. I had those replaced, but that didn't change the sound.

This weekend I put it up on jack stands (supported on the frame) and grabbed and forcefully tried to shake the tie rods, sway bar, sway bar end links, etc. and couldn't notice any play anywhere. I also cranked the t-bars to raise the front end a bit after I installed a front bumper and winch last month (not sure if related, just trying to be thorough).

The only ripped rubber boots I could see were on both upper ball joints (on the upper control arm). Would that cause a "clunk" sound when going over speed bumps? I couldn't see anything else that looked out of the ordinary.

The only other front suspension-related thing I can think of is, when I braking moderately to hard, and hit bumps while braking, I feel a sort of shudder through the steering. I wasn't sure if that was related, or normal, or what.

I'm driving 6 hours for a camping trip (towing a small trailer) for Thanksgiving, and plan on hitting the trail on Tray Mountain, I just want to be sure everything is safe before leaving town.
 
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I'm not real familiar with the front end of a 100 (did they get disc brakes) but I do know that you can get a clunk from ball joints. They need to be so dry and rusty that they have worn down in size though.

Probably more likely it is a bushing somewhere in the suspension.
 
Have your wheel bearings been serviced regularly?

I don't think the ball joint would make a clunk. Especially if the truck still drives decent. But the torn boot needs to be addressed. If it can be rebooted I'd go that route. If not, you can install an aftermarket ball joint (555) or a new Toyota upper control arm.

My guess is your clunk is coming from the sway bar end link bushings. These bushings were the cause of a clunk I was chasing. Go with Toyota replacement, the aftermarket set I bought didn't last 3,000 miles. You can verify this is the cause by pulling the lower bolt on each link, tying up the sway bar and going for a drive.

Don't discount bushings at the rear axle as a culprit. They can fool you. My rear sway bar link bushings were clunking too.
 
Thanks, that sounds like a simple enough method for testing the end links.

I replaced the front brakes and bearings 6-10 months ago (not sure when that was exactly). How often should I be servicing the bearings? Just disassemble and regrease, or something else?
 
87warrior said:
Have your wheel bearings been serviced regularly?

I don't think the ball joint would make a clunk. Especially if the truck still drives decent. But the torn boot needs to be addressed. If it can be rebooted I'd go that route. If not, you can install an aftermarket ball joint (555) or a new Toyota upper control arm.

My guess is your clunk is coming from the sway bar end link bushings. These bushings were the cause of a clunk I was chasing. Go with Toyota replacement, the aftermarket set I bought didn't last 3,000 miles. You can verify this is the cause by pulling the lower bolt on each link, tying up the sway bar and going for a drive.

Don't discount bushings at the rear axle as a culprit. They can fool you. My rear sway bar link bushings were clunking too.
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I agree. I had similar front end sounds. All I needed to do was to re-torque the sway bar at the doughnut/bottom end. Clunk-be-gone...But I did reboot my upper ball joints and replace my lowers in the process of trying to diagnose the clunk...blah.
 
oakback said:
Thanks, that sounds like a simple enough method for testing the end links.

I replaced the front brakes and bearings 6-10 months ago (not sure when that was exactly). How often should I be servicing the bearings? Just disassemble and regrease, or something else?
Click to expand...
Every 30k miles is the recommended interval to repack the wheel bearings.
 
I had a clunk and some weird sounds up front, I thought it was CV but turned out to be UJOINT issues on the shaft. After replacing front and rear, no more sounds and smooth operation.
 
When on the jack stands, did you try and push the tires around to see if there is play in the wheel bearings? Are your CV axles original 99? Could be anything listed above.
 
Matserelli said:
When on the jack stands, did you try and push the tires around to see if there is play in the wheel bearings? Are your CV axles original 99? Could be anything listed above.
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No idea if the CVs are original. The boots look good though. When I tried rocking it at 12 & 6, the wheel would move maybe 1mm at the very edge of the wheel, if that makes sense.

I disconnected the front sway but didn't have time for a test drive last night, I'll see how it does on my morning commute, which includes those speed bumps.
 
Definitely not sway bar related, very clearly still makes the sound with it disconnected.

RobRed said:
or lower shock mount
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It visibly looks fine, how would I determine if it were bad?
ejbea_7 said:
busted shock absorber.
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In cars I've had in the past, a bad shock is usually evident because it bounces a few times after a bump, like it's only on the spring with no shock. I haven't noticed this, but I've also never had a vehicle with torsion bar suspension. I also don't notice any oil leaking from the shock (another thing I noticed in my older cars). How can I determine if it's the shock?

pics of shock mounts (grey stuff is dirt/dried mud, no rust):
bf5c35bea91f4831946a5e00480fa4e1.jpg

d8a3a0d963cd40ceb6bd0894ab1350a9.jpg
 
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oakback said:
Definitely not sway bar related, very clearly still makes the sound with it disconnected.


It visibly looks fine, how would I determine if it were bad?

In cars I've had in the past, a bad shock is usually evident because it bounces a few times after a bump, like it's only on the spring with no shock. I haven't noticed this, but I've also never had a vehicle with torsion bar suspension. I also don't notice any oil leaking from the shock (another thing I noticed in my older cars). How can I determine if it's the shock?
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My 100 also had a clank sound that ended when I replaced the shocks. Upon inspection, I noticed the lower shock body would twist when the suspension cycled. A worn out lower bushing gave the shock enough movement the ear would twist and make contact with the lower mounting tabs, thus the noise. OEM replacement shocks are dirt cheap and just a few dollars more than a bushing kit.
 
Thanks. Though I can't be sure they're bad, the shocks are most definitely not new. Are there recommended brands? Or is the cheap stuff fine? I see some Pro Comps on amazon for $35-$45 each.

edit: Local O'Reilly has Monroes for $39.99, and KYBs for $99.99 each. Dealership has them for $62.96 each.
 
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I went with OEM Toyota. At 249k miles the shocks still had a charge but the bushings were shot. They were about $30 a shock. The Toyota shocks were cheaper than I could buy aftermarket from the parts store and they are quality. I have no experience with other shocks for the 100, but I know there are a few threads on the discussion.
 
You might want to inspect the steering rack too. I replaced all the shocks, cv axles, front hub bearings, and ball joints. Still had a cluck over bumps. Rack was slopping all over the place. Still have a little noise, not as bad as before, and swaybar bushings are next on the list.
 
Mr Snappy said:
You might want to inspect the steering rack too. I replaced all the shocks, cv axles, front hub bearings, and ball joints. Still had a cluck over bumps. Rack was slopping all over the place. Still have a little noise, not as bad as before, and swaybar bushings are next on the list.
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How can I check that?
 
Well, not exactly sure there. I had it into a shop for that one.
Lemme ask a couple of my customers and I'll post back. (I see techs all day every day)
 
Getting in on the .02 here, the clunk could be due to your drive shaft needing greasing. It is usually a pretty neglected part of preventative maintenance (even a lot of dealers don't know what to do with it).
Check out this thread for more info The OFFICIAL clunk/thunk driveshaft thread
 
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